


A matter of point of view (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 11 - Ultracrepidarian)

by Ivelia



Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivelia/pseuds/Ivelia
Summary: Part of my attempt for #FFXIVWrite2020 - September 11 (Day 11 - Ultracrepidarian)Sometimes, assumed skill (or lack thereof) is a matter of opinion.No spoiler, but somewhat of a prequel to my Day 5 (they can be read independently though). Also, a little bit of gore at the end.
Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906951





	A matter of point of view (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 11 - Ultracrepidarian)

\- “I see that everyone is here, now!” With the arrival of the last member, Jujubeku Nenebeku adventuring group was complete at last. The lalafellin mage checked out the newcomer, suspicious. Since their last member had left the group without saying nary a word, they had been on the lookout for new blood for their party of then four, now three, but only by paying a copious amount of gil to a broker was he able to find a last minute replacement so they could enlist for this mission. He had thought that if everything went well, they could make this a definitive hire later down the road but… Looking at the appearance of that Elezen lancer, he was less and less convinced that they’ll be able to go down this path.

Although the guy was towering a few fulms above himself by virtue of being from a taller race, he was not that tall compared to other Elezen. He had an especially beanspouty build, even more so than it was usual, that would probably have been better suited to an archer or a mage than a melee fighter, but their group already had himself as an experienced mage to fill the position of a distance fighter, and his books told him that the ideal small group composition only required one melee and one ranged, so he had requested a close quarter specialist from the headhunter. The lancer’s entire body was encased in a shiny set of plate and mail that still reeked of newness, and he even was wearing that dumb looking armet with extra space to house his pointy ears, and holding a simple, standard halberd that looked fresh from the forge. He internally cursed the intermediary who had sold him this fresh faced bastard as an  _ adventurer of exceptional skill and mettle _ and offered a dismissive “Try not to be too much of a burden, hey.” before they set out to the Tangle, where they were to cull some more dangerous fauna that posed a threat to the inhabitants of the settlement.

After a short trip, they finally arrived a stone throw away from their quarry; they were to come back with proof of death from several mudpuppies that were nestling in the area. Though those were far from being  _ puppies _ , as their unhindered growth, sometimes accompanied with the occasional snacking on passing-by merchants, allowed them to become three to four malms long monsters with their thick skin dripping with noxious toxins and a large, gaping maw with too many teeth to be safe. But those should be easy prey for his group: himself, as a peerless occultist that had been taught by the most expensive tutors of the Desert Jewel, Bhaldberk, the axe-wielding Roegadyn he had poached from a famous pirate crew in Limsa Lominsa, and Jocie, that Hyuran conjurer apprentice that had decided to tagged along with them to  _ heal the land _ or whatever when they passed by Gridania. For far too long had they only been able to unleash their fury on small critters, but unexpectedly, after submitting their new roster to the guild officials, they were assigned a more exciting task. They were probably held back by their previous party member, and their middleman had been able to fool the Adventurer’s Guild representatives into believing that that 2-gil spear holder was more than a scarecrow. Anyway, today was to be the day where “Jujubeku’s Braves” legend would be taken to higher heights-

\- “We should... probably discuss the tactics we’ll be using here.” came the low, muffled voice of their halberd-wielding addition, interrupting his daydreams.

\- “What tactics, bah!” growled Bhaldberk, “You spineless whoreson should just stay on my tail and stab things. Don’t get in my way!” he howled as he dashed to the mobs, catching everyone, including his teammates, unawares. Whether his attack missed or whatever, the diminutive sorcerer wasn’t sure; all he remembered was that they were suddenly face to face with the giant (maws) of the angry beasts. While their dumb lancer had at least managed to flounder so hard that he actually struck their conjurer out of the path of the rampaging beast, he himself barely managed to launch the incomplete  _ Sphere of Ultimate Arcane Destruction _ he was preparing, at point-blank range to the mob that was charging himself, the thankfully less powerful that expected blast sending him flying away from his attacker, a bit charred and dazed but still alive. As he was still reeling from the impact, his ears ringing preventing him from hearing the doubtlessly colorful expletives from his Roegadyn bodyguard, the scene that he witnessed next left him a marked man.

* * *

\- “Don’t get in my way!” Famous words said before disaster. As a matter of fact, he rushed into the monsters’ group, weapon drawn, howling threateningly.

\- (You dumbass!) The lancer cursed under her armet as the marauder’s artless charge startled the pack of mudpuppies. However, the almost blind creatures did not attack him, but were instead drawn to what they could  _ feel  _ was a greater menace, that is to say, the fluctuation of aether caused by the two mages behind, who were halfway through preparing their spells and had not been expecting such a sudden engagement. The hyuran girl who was supposed to be a healer froze up in fear as the oversized wavekins beelined for them, and all she could do was push her out of arm’s way using the shaft of her halberd, hopefully not breaking a rib or two, halberd that she then threw to the eft that was about to snack on their mage, nailing it to the ground as the blast from the uncontrolled spell the inexperienced mage was attempting to cast sent him flying a bit further away.

\- “You daft sods, why are you attracting them?” The hulking marauder berated them as he rushed back to attack from behind the monster that was facing the still frozen conjurer that has been pushed to the ground, and now weaponless Elezen “Can’t you useless bitches make yourselves usef-” The powerful tail swipe of the salamander caught him square the chest, silencing him and sending the grown man sprawling to the floor, unconscious. Sensing something  _ amiss  _ with the person that was shielding the defenseless healer, and not feeling like eating a muscular, plate covered giant, the monster decided that the lightly clothed further away lalafell was a better prey.

* * *

Probably because of the lalafellin race’s rumored deliciousness, the eft decided to forego eating the muscular, plated Roegadyne and somehow ignored both the useless healer and lancer, and turned him instead, crawling at an impossible pace. He saw that the only other person still standing was running to their only kill, probably to fetch his weapon that was embedded in the carcass - _ how the hell did that arrive there? _ \- probably before fleeing from this debacle. Not that this was a terrible choice. At least there would be someone left to send a search party for their remains? The spell he had launched earlier had taken all his energy, and dizzy as he was, he couldn’t concentrate enough to muster any sort of defence. As he was bracing for an undeserved, inglorious death, a shadow appeared in front of him in a cloud of dust and debris, stopping the monster’s charge dead in his track:

\- (The lancer, he did not flee?) Admirable attention, but that would only bring more meat to the mudpuppies’ meal tonight. He still somehow feel his heart swell with hope as he saw the staunch silhouette of the warrior raising his helm’s visor to readjust it, and he head a clear, feminine voice, cursing:

\- “The next time that asshat broker asks me to “teach some promising newbies”, he’ll be the one that I run through with my lance, I swear”. She shut it back down, muffling her curses as Jujubeku was still trying to process the situation.

\- (Did she jump from there? It can’t be...) As he gazed in wonder, he saw the lancer, nay- the dragoon rush to the beast and her single, exceedingly powerful swipe caught the salamander straight to the jaw, sending it flying backwards. As the beast’s body reached an upright orientation under the impact, she  _ jumped _ to an impossible height, and with meteoric strength, her downward dive movement allowed her lance to pierce her prey from head to tail in a single blow, cleaving it in two, her backward retreat movement then bringing with the head of her halberd a bloody rain of fresh monster entrails, the view causing him to almost wet himself.

\- (A monster...!)

Shaking the blood and offal from her weapon in a practiced, almost graceful movement, she spoke to probably both the pack of monsters still prowling around, and the defeated group of adventurers, her voice low, distorted, infernal though the acoustics of her helmet:

\- “Playtime’s over, kids.”

**Author's Note:**

> Today's (Day 11) word, "Ultracrepidarian" [noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside the area of his or her expertise], and all of my eternal salt, is dedicated to all the terrible players/people I have met, that are not only oblivious to their own issues, but still find the time to tell you how to do your own job. May them eternally step on legos.  
> At first I was like "what the hell, is that even a word?" to "Oh, there's actually a very specific word for the one of the things I hate the most"  
> I don't have anything against new players, in fact I love seeing people starting the game and I'll go out of my way to help them if I can, but new (and old, the shit that old time players still pull baffles me xD) people with that type of attitude tilt me SO hard lol. You can be wrong, but being wrong and still trying to convince people that what you say is right after having been proved otherwise is just being a shitty person.  
> Also, this is totally a matter of point of view, as a maybe in their eyes, I'm being ultracrepidarian?  
> Anyway, I wanted to develop this trait a bit more in Jujubeku's party, but I didn't have the time aaaaa


End file.
